William Carr Beresford

William Carr Beresford (2 October 1768-8 January 1856) was Lieutenant-General of the Ordinance of Great Britain from 1823 to 1824, Master-General of the Ordinance from 1828 to 1830, and Regent of Portugal from 1807 to 1821.

Biography
Beresford was born on 2 October 1768 to Count George Beresford of Waterford, Ireland, and a mother who had an affair with Beresford. In 1785 he enlisted in the 6th Regiment of Foot and lost sight in one eye due to a musket accident, and was a Captain in the British Army by the time that the French Revolutionary Wars began in 1792. He distinguished himself in the Siege of Toulon (1793), Egypt Campaign (1799-1803, and South Africa (1805). He was promoted to General under David Baird during the Siege of Buenos Aires in 1806, and in 1807 he was sent to Portugal, where he became commander-in-chief of the Portuguese Army. In 1809 he captured Porto, and expelled Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult's French army from Portugal that year. Beresford later took part in the campaign to capture Badajos that resulted in the 1811 Battle of Albuera, which was costly for both sides.

Beresford continued to command Portuguese and British forces in the advance northwards, winning the Battle of Salamanca in 1812 and capturing Toulouse from France in April 1814. Beresford remained as the commander-in-chief of the Portuguese Army after the Napoleonic Wars, and fought against the Portuguese Revolution of 1820. The revolution saw the royal family return to Portugal, and Britain expelled. Beresford served as a representative of County Waterford many times before having positions in The Duke of Wellington's government.